One of the most basic aspects of English grammar is learning how to write a sentence. It seems very easy but you will be surprised to find out that there are still a lot of people, not only students but even adults who still find it hard to construct a proper sentence. Hence, it is necessary for us to go back and relearn the basics of sentence writing.
A sentence simply means a group of words conveying a complete thought. Alternatively, if you want to be technical about it, a sentence is a grammatical unit that is composed of one or more clauses. When writing a sentence, one should always remember that it has a purpose. Either the purpose may be to tell something or it may also be to ask something.
Punctuation marks either within the sentence or at the end of the sentence must also be noted well in creating a sentence. Each punctuation mark transmits a diverse expression and sentences can be categorized accordingly.
Most common punctuation mark is the period that is commonly used in declarative sentences. All sentences that declare something should end with a period. An interrogative sentence or one the purpose of which is to make an inquiry about something ends with a question mark. A sentence which closes with an exclamation mark is an exclamatory sentence. It is being used to express a strong emotion or a feeling of astonishment.
One should also make sure that a sentence is complete. A sentence is considered as complete when it has both a subject and a predicate. A subject may refer to a noun, noun phrase or pronoun which performs the action or depicts the predicate. On the other hand, a predicate gives information regarding the subject or narrates what the subject is actually doing. The predicate must contain a verb. A sentence is said to be complete when it contains the both the subject and the predicate.
After learning how to make simple sentences, then you can experiment on creating compound sentences or even compound complex sentences. Compound sentences are those which contain two independent clauses or simple sentences that are put together through the use of coordinators such as: and, or, but, therefore, nor, for and yet. Generally, these coordinators are followed by a comma. Complex sentences however consist of an independent clause jointly with a single or more dependent clauses which are connected together using subordinators like when, even though, soon after, as, because, who, which, that and so on.
It is also very important to observe proper grammar in writing sentences. Subject and verb agreement should be noted well. The basic rule is that a singular subject requires a singular verb while a plural subject needs a plural one. To make it easy, you should first determine whether a certain subject is singular or plural after which you will know the suitable verb to use. You should also find out if the verb that you need to use is in the past, present or future tense.
Having mastered the proper way of writing sentences, they one can now start making paragraphs and even stories. Basically, sentence writing is very simple. There are many innovative ways to train students how to write sentences correctly. Aside from classroom activities, there are a lot of games and courses available online that can provide outstanding sentence writing techniques and strategies.